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Interview with the Jayhawks

93.1 WXRT Radio Chicago / March 21, 2000 2 pm / XRT DJ Tom Marker hosting (TM)

TM: ...we kept the mics off as we prepared to bring a big band into the studio, we've got five people here. Let me see if we've got everyone's name right. Over here on vocals and keyboards is Jen Gunderman, is that how you say it?
Jen: That's right, yeah.
TM: Hey, how about that and Marc Perlman, playing bass and Gary Louris is right in front of me, right center and both speakers we're expecting, lead singer, guitar player...
Gary: Pisces
TM: You're a Pisces, Kraig Johnson playing guitar over here and on drums we have Tim O'Reagan, you put them all together and you've got the Jayhawks. Welcome back to town you guys.
Gary: Thank you very much, the Windy City, ...
TM: That's right...
Gary: The City of Big Shoulders.
TM: That's right, we've heard that before ourselves as a matter of fact.
Gary: Yes, well we feel we're almost home, we know a lot of people here and we're from Minneapolis so we're just up the road.
TM: Just up the road, you also have 90 and 94 running through the center of your town much like we do.
Gary: The last time we were here we were stranded at the airport, the big snowstorm, remember that Kraig?
Kraig: Yes I do remember that...
TM: So has that been awhile ago?
Kraig: ...we did spend a lot of time on 94.
Gary: Yes we did.
TM: The last time you had an album out, that's been a few years now right?
Gary: Yup!
TM: What have you been doing for three years? What took you so long?
Gary: (laughing) Sittin' on our you know what. Uh, well for many different reasons we just haven't done much for three years and really we haven't toured heavily for about four or five so we're ready to go.
TM: We were seeing you in Chicago at all the big, I remember this, you seemed like you were at the biggest and best of the summer music festivals along with all the other places, but you'd be at these big downtown street parties, isn't that right? Yeah, you played some of that stuff.
Gary: Yeah, I remember the Lounge Ax show we did outside of Lounge Ax, which is no more right? Which is too bad. I loved that place.
TM: Yeah, we keep waiting for them to pop up somewhere else.
Gary: I'm sure Sue (Miller co-owner of Lounge Ax) will show up with something.
TM: So in the last few years you've got a new record company, isn't that right?
Gary: Yup
TM: And you've got a new record producer for this new record, you've got some guy who produces KISS, so now you're sounding more like KISS.
Gary: (laughs) Yeah you should see us here, we all have these new costumes and Tim's dressed up like a puppy (everyone laughs) and Kraig's a snake. Uh yeah, Bob Ezrin. People say why him it seems strange but you know, we grew up listening to a lot of different music. The folk and country, alternative country that people seem to know us for is only one piece of what we really listen to and like.
TM: Well he's done more than just KISS. He's produced Lou Reed for example...
Gary: Lou Reed's Berlin which is a great record, Pink Floyd's The Wall, first three Alice Cooper albums, the first three (Peter) Gabriel records and ...
TM: And the new Jayhawks record!
Gary: Right
TM: Which people will be saying down the road, oh yeah he's the guy who produced that Jayhawks record Smile (Gary laughs). We still have four, five, six weeks until that record comes out, you're not playing anywhere, we can't say you're over at such and such a place playing tonight or even next month, you're here with no mission, you've got nothing to sell, no tickets, no records. What are you doing here already? It's been three years and you can't wait to get out on the road is that it? (everyone laughs)
Gary: I don't know, what are we doing here? Let's go! Pack her up!
TM: As long as we've got all five of you here why don't you play a song before you take off. Ok, Jayhawks...
...Gary counts off and they play " I'd Run Away" (acoustic guitars, keyboards, tamborine, light drums)... When they finish there is clapping and hooting.
TM: All right, how about that, the Jayhawks ladies and gentleman right here live on your radio on 93 XRT, from the Tomorrow The Green Grass album which came out awhile ago now.
Gary: Yes
TM: Now you mentioned Lounge Ax a minute ago, when you mention Lounge Ax you're getting real close to mentioning Wilco (LAx owner Sue is married to Jeff Tweedy), when you mention Wilco you're getting close to mentioning Son Volt and when you mention Jayhawks a lot of times people mention Wilco and Son Volt. They say "Oh yeah, they're kind of like those bands." Don't you hate that, you hate those guys don't you?
Gary: No I actually really like those guys, and uh, funny isn't it? We dig those guys, actually every other show you always hear some guy going: "T-W-E-E-D-Y ! ! !" No they're an inspiration, they're friends, it's cool to have friends who are inspirations.
TM: (laughing) Yeah, that comes in handy. There was a whole, I don't know maybe there wasn't a scene, maybe there was just a phrase, the No Depression phrase that was being applied to the music of those Illinois bands as well as to yourselves. Weren't you a part of that No Depression thing?
Gary: We never felt a part of anything. We just felt like a band that, it sounds trite but it's true. Scenes are always things that people do to group things together so that they can write an article about it or something. We're friends but we have a lot of friends in other bands too. We never felt we had this thing going, movement you know. We didn't have seminars and workshops or anything like that.
Kraig and Marc: Maybe we should have.
TM: Weren't you just at SXSW?
Gary: Yes we were!
TM: There's an alt-country kind of a scene that had seminars.
Gary: Actually it's got all different kinds of music, yes.
TM: All kinds of music, Patti Smith...
Gary: (laughing) We played with Cypress Hill, that's who we played with. They're in that kind of same, they're kind of moving in that direction.
TM: So did you have fun down there, is it a lot of fun, do you go to seminars when you go to something like a big music conference?
Gary: NO
TM: No
Gary: No I've never been to a seminar. I'm sure they're useful but we're usually just, it's more work for us, we don't see bands too much unfortunately.
TM: Yeah go around shaking a lot of hands, meet a lot of record promoters.
Gary: Yeah we're working, we're working here, we're definitely working. We like to work, like I say we haven't done a lot of work in the last few years so we're ready to hit it hard.
TM: Do somemore work right now, what else can you play for us?
Gary: This is a song we wrote for a movie as a group and the movie got stalled and then it did come out I guess and they didn't use our song. So we put it on our record and we like it anyway. In fact we really like this song and it's called: "What Led Me To This Town" ...
....the Jayhawks play "What Led Me To This Town"...
TM: "What Led Me To This Town", that's from the new album or soon to be new album, newer than new right now, the album Smile.
Gary: (laughs) Newer than new!
TM: ...that's coming out early in May.
Gary: May 9th
TM: Second Tuesday in May by the Jayhawks, that's who you're listening to perform in the studio here 93 XRT. That song is typical of one of the kinds of songs you do. It's so pretty and sweet harmonies and yet that's not the only kind of song you do. I think it's just a few songs down the line, next song even on the album, cut four "Somewhere In Ohio", that's got some heavy riffing going on in there, guitar feedback and stuff. So you never know what the next song is going to be like...
Gary: There's always a little pretty element in there. I think we're attracted, it's always what draws us to a song. I don't think there's enough of that on the radio right now personally.
TM: You probably don't think there's enough Jayhawks music on the radio, right? (everyone laughs).
Gary: That's part of it.
TM: So we mentioned that you're sometimes compared to Wilco for example. Who have your harmonies been compared to that you've heard of that you're proud of ?
Tim: Smothers Brothers (everybody laughs)
Gary: Boy, that's a good question. Someone was, some band called The Browns, I don't know who they are from the '60s or something. I don't know, we sound like us as far as I'm concerned.
TM: So when you're doing a live show is it pretty much the same kind of mix as on the albums where one song's kind of soft and the next one rocks out a little more or is it a little more...
Gary: Well, we're finding we really like doing this, I mean this kind of thing and I'm hoping we can incorporate that more into our shows somehow but...when we try being a big...Did you just give me the finger???
TM: No, I'm rubbing my eye. (Everyone breaks out laughing)
Gary: You just gave me the finger, you just told me to...oh my god...
TM: I just do that once in awhile.
Gary: I guess so!
TM: My son catches me with that too, "Hey Dad!"
Gary: Umm, now what was I saying, I forgot. We try to be a big rock band, you know we can only do it so well, we leave some of that to the (Black) Crowes and stuff like that. They just seem like they're built to be a rock band. You know we can do it to a point.
TM: Now you've got this big label behind you now.
Gary: The Machine
TM: So you can say goodbye to the vans and the buses and you're flying in the private jets and staying in the five star hotels...(everyone's laughing)
Kraig: We are? Gary is...
Gary: I am, you guys are in the van.
Marc: Yeah, don't laugh.
TM: Can you do another one from the new album?
Gary: What's your room number tonight?
Marc: I don't have a room.
Gary: We're at the Radisson. In fact we have a new commercial advertisement we want to...
Marc: It's so Radisson.
Gary: It's sooo Radison. We have time for one more?
TM: Yeah, I think so!
Gary: This is the new single and it's called "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me."
...the Jayhawks play "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"...
TM: "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" a new single and maybe we'll even have a chance to play it before the album comes out in a month. New by the Jayhawks from the soon to be released album Smile. You guys have a couple little new releases of your own. Jen aren't you the latest addition to the band, replacing Karen because she has a new baby?
Jen: That's right.
TM: And Gary don't you also have a new baby?
Gary: Yes I do.
TM: And there's even a new song on the album called "Mr. Wilson" that's about your..
Gary: He's part of the song, it's not all, it's my first goo goo gaga kind of song but you know..
TM: Our morning guy, Lin Brehmer might play that for his son Wilson someday.
Gary: And speaking of babies we do want to congratulate Sue and Jeff who did have another little boy.
TM: Ok, Sue from Lounge Ax and Jeff from Wilco you're mentioning, right, with the little baby boy. Well thanks a lot for coming by, good luck with the new album and I hope to see you back soon doing a concert and we'll look forward to that announcement coming sometime soon.
Gary: Yes we will, thanks for having us. (the rest say thanks)
TM: Jayhawks, 93 XRT

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